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Friday, March 13 is the deadline for administrators to nominate teachers and their programs within your school district for an EDEX 21—21st annual Education Excellence Award. Since 1994, the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) has recognized local and intermediate public school district programs that positively reflect the innovation spirit in today’s schools and measurably improve student achievement with these awards.

Each year the Education Excellence Award recognizes 20 teachers and their programs, and this year, an overall winner will be named based on a total score. Winners receive a cash award and statewide recognition at a luncheon in their honor. They also are invited to present their program at MASB’s annual fall leadership conference.

Watch the video promotion and then download the applicationand encourage your school district to recognize the outstanding work going on every day.

Today and all this month, we encourage adults to pick up a book and read with a child. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow did just that. She recorded two videos with her reading books written by Michigan authors—“Grace for President” and “Meteor!” Let her share her love of reading with your students. Everyone will enjoy the experience!

And today is also the start of a nationwide search for students 5 to 18 years of age who excel in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and math. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the book, Dr. Seuss Enterprises and NEA will offer a $10,000 STEAM scholarship through its “Kid, You’ll Move Mountains” promotion. Go to www.nea.org/grants to learn more.

If you believe our schools and safer roads are important to the quality of life in Michigan, circle May 5 on your calendar. On that day, voters will be asked to vote on a proposal that would raise over $1 billion to repair Michigan’s dangerous roads and bridges, while raising $300 million in new revenue for Michigan public schools, funded by a 1-cent increase in the state sales tax.

Thanks to the efforts of NEA and its members like you, the full House is waiting to vote on a version of H.R. 5, the Republican’s rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which restores key elements we’ve been fighting for and makes a bad bill better.

This is National Breakfast Week (March 2-6) and to raise awareness of the issue of child hunger, the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) has released three new videos and created resources you can use in your classroom and in your school district.

Eighteen community colleges will be benefitting from a $50 million grant that will allow them to buy state-of-the-art equipment and provide training in their skilled trades courses. The grant is part of Gov. Snyder’s Community College Skilled Trades Equipment Program that will develop a talent base for skilled manufacturing jobs in the state.

Beyond the close numbers, yesterday’s election results said volumes about member commitment and voter discontent. It may have been a Republican presidential primary, but it didn’t stop voters—angry with what’s going on in Lansing—from making their voices heard at the ballot box.

Here's something every MEA member knows all too well when it comes to protecting our jobs, our wages and our benefits--collective bargaining works. It gives every one of our members a voice and the ability to come together to negotiate a fair contract.

But Lansing politicians don’t know or care about this. They have introduced more than 100 anti-worker bills over the past year. And none of them have put Michigan back to work.

It's time to take action!

Visit www.ProtectOurJobs.com to sign our online petition and help take on the politicians and corporate special interests who continue to assault collective bargaining rights.

Members of the U.S. House Committee on Education debated amendments to two new ESEA reauthorization bills today—the Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990).

Gov. Snyder signed HB 4455 last week that allocates an additional $4 million to get Highland Park Schools’ students through the rest of the school year. However, the money does not go directly to the troubled school district. Rather, each student will receive $4,000 to either remain in Highland Park or go to another school district – a huge disruption midway through their academic year.

SB 619—allowing for the expansion of cyber schools—could see action this week on the House floor. While MEA leaders, members and staff have continued to send the message to their legislators that there is no reliable research or data to support such a move, SB 619 supporters are trying to use emotions to sway legislators.

Written by parents, the form letters tell how cyber schools are helping their gifted students excel, their failing students catch up, and providing their students with health and developmental issues an alternative to traditional public schools.

NCPSO makes the claim that nearly 10,000 Michigan students are being denied the opportunity to attend a cyber school. Individual letters exploit student stories to make the case that cyber schools are the only way to get customized, personal access to a certified teacher; provide safety from bullying; and allow a student the flexibility to speed ahead or slow down their lessons.

It’s been our message all along—to ensure student success and to turn around struggling schools, the education community has to work together. And right here in Michigan, Romulus Middle Schools is proof of that.

This week, the House Appropriations School Aid Subcommittee outlined how schools would qualify for Gov. Snyder’s funding bonuses and then got an earful from traditional and charter school representatives concerned that they might miss out on the extra money.

The Senate acted quickly on Wednesday to make sure graduate student research assistants wouldn’t have a say in whether they could unionize or not. SB 971 was introduced last week, passed on a party-line vote by the Government Operations Committee on Tuesday and passed on the Senate floor on a 26-12 party line vote on Wednesday.

MEA submitted the following opinion piece to the Detroit News for President Cook’s monthly column. The News, without MEA’s permission, edited out the paragraphs in bold. MEA believes it is in the public interest to present the full, unedited piece.

With the upcoming primary on Tuesday, Michigan has become the focus of Republican presidential politics – especially for Gov. Mitt Romney, for whom a win in his home state is at stake.

For those of us who know our Michigan history, it’s interesting to view this campaign through the lens of another Gov. Romney: Mitt’s father, George.

In 1965, Michigan Gov. George Romney signed into law the Public Employee Relations Act. This legislation gave public sector employees (teachers, school support staff, police officers, firefighters and other public workers) the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.

In 1967, Gov. Romney signed the Michigan Income Tax Act, creating a flat rate income tax that helped drive greater investment in our state and its infrastructure.

Prior to becoming governor, George Romney was the CEO of American Motors, helping to build Michigan’s modern auto industry. He was also a prominent advocate for investing in and improving public schools in our state – so much so that the Michigan Education Association awarded Romney our “Distinguished Service Award” in 1960 for contributions to the cause of public education.

If you've thought about becoming a published children's author, enter the 2011 Children's Book of the Year contest sponsored by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in cooperation with Charlesbridge Publishing of Boston.